The mystery of Thom Yorke’s secret new record has been solved: the Radiohead frontman has announced the release of his sophomore solo album, Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes.
Once again, Yorke has come up with an inventive way to distribute the album. It’s being released through BitTorrent, a move which he says, if successful, could revolutionize the music industry. Click here to download the album now.
“It’s an experiment to see if the mechanics of the system are something that the general public can get its head around,” Yorke explained in an issued statement. “If it works well it could be an effective way of handing some control of internet commerce back to people who are creating the work. Enabling those people who make either music, video or any other kind of digital content to sell it themselves. Bypassing the self elected gate-keepers. If it works anyone can do this exactly as we have done.”
As of late, Yorke has become a particularly vocal critic of online music distribution, calling into question the royalty rates of streaming platforms such as Spotify. He previously carried out a similiarly innovate release with Radiohead’s 2007 album, In Rainbows, introducing the industry to the pay-what-you-want format.
Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes serves as the follow-up to Yorke’s debut solo LP, 2006’s The Eraser.
Read Yorke’s full message:
As an experiment we are using a new version of BitTorrent to distribute a new Thom Yorke record.
The new Torrent files have a pay gate to access a bundle of files..
The files can be anything, but in this case is an ‘album’.
It’s an experiment to see if the mechanics of the system are something that the general public can get its head around …
If it works well it could be an effective way of handing some control of internet commerce back to people who are creating the work.
Enabling those people who make either music, video or any other kind of digital content to sell it themselves.
Bypassing the self elected gate-keepers.
If it works anyone can do this exactly as we have done.
The torrent mechanism does not require any server uploading or hosting costs or ‘cloud’ malarkey.
It’s a self-contained embeddable shop front…
The network not only carries the traffic, it also hosts the file. The file is in the network.
9. "That U2 play fisher price while Radiohead are geniuses" In response to Reply # 6 Sat Sep-27-14 11:44 AM by rdhull
ESP since Radiohead copped U2's playbook, even the change to electronic avante grade or whatever one wants to call it. And that Thom isn't up his own ass just as Bono is etc.
27. "enduring? I can fuck with that. BUT. " In response to Reply # 16
You gotta keep in mind that Boy wasn't our time. Of course shit that came out when we were teens is gonna feel more enduring than shit that came out when we were babies
8. "am I missing something?" In response to Reply # 0
people pay with a credit card or paypal and then can download a zip file including mp3s, artwork or other files? in other words, its bandcamp on bittorrent? how's that revolutionary?
20. "Yah...." In response to Reply # 8 Sun Sep-28-14 07:36 AM by denny
I'm thinking that too.
Kinda sick of all this evil 'gatekeeper' talk. Record companies paid for and distributed records. That was necessary for a long time in order for people to listen to music. As far as I can see....the evil record companies are not stopping him from undertaking this project. Stop pretending to be so suppressed for god's sake.
I love Radiohead and all....but Thom seriously has to stop reading 1984 over and over again. It's making him delusional. Life is freer and more comfortable now than in the history of human civilization. Especially people with his money. You'd think this guy lived in a concentration camp.
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